Format control tape cartridge and mounting assembly therefore

ABSTRACT

This invention applies to the control of material advancing means and more particularly to the control of the format of a record medium, such as an elongated paper web, advanced through a printing machine. The control is exercised by a format tape protectingly housed within a cartridge and drivingly engaged by a sprocket wheel therein which is connectable to a driving shaft associated with that part of the printing machine for advancing the paper web. The cartridge with the enclosed tape and sprocket wheel is mounted upon a plate assembly carried by the machine having protruding operating elements, one a driving shaft associated with the web advancing means and the other a tape reader, the two operating elements cooperating with the construction of the cartridge to enter the same and in the first instance drivingly couple the sprocket wheel to the drive shaft and in the second instance disposing the tape reader in position to read the tape within the cartridge. When drivingly coupled to the drive shaft, the sprocket wheel is supported thereby so that it is free of any contact with the surfaces of the cartridge within which it is housed. Also provision is made for adjusting the tape reader while the cartridge is mounted on the printing machine.

United States Patent 1 1 Hoffman 1451 Aug. 7, 1973 FORMAT CONTROL TAPE CARTRIDGE AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY THEREFORE [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Burroughs Corporation, Detroit,

Mich.

221 Filed: Dec. 20, 1971 21 Appl. No.2 209,777

Paul R. Hoffman, Farmington, Mich.

Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Assistant Examiner-Gene A. Church Attorneyelaul W. Fish et al.

[57] ABSTRACT This invention applies to the control of material advancing means and more particularly to the control of the format of a record medium, such as an elongated paper web, advanced through a printing machine. The control is exercised by a format tape protectingly housed within a cartridge and drivingly engaged by a sprocket wheel therein which is connectable to a driving shaft associated with that part of the printing machine for advancing the paper web. The cartridge with the enclosed tape and sprocket wheel is mounted upon a plate assembly carried by the machine having protruding operating elements, one a driving shaft associated with the web advancing means and the other a tape reader, the two operating elements cooperating with the construction of the cartridge to enter the same and in the first instance drivingly couple the sprocket wheel to the drive shaft and in the second instance disposing the tape reader in position to read the tape within the cartridge. When drivingly coupled to the drive shaft, the sprocket wheel is supported thereby so that it is free of any contact with the surfaces of the cartridge within which it is housed. Also provision is made for adjusting the tape reader while the cartridge is mounted on the printing machine.

12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIEI] AUG 7 i973 SHEEI 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. PAUL R. HOFFMAN.

FORMAT CONTROL TAPE CARTRIDGE AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY THEREFORE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to that field of art pertaining to the control of material advanced through a work area in accordance with information on a control tape and more particularly to the enclosure of such tape within a housing removably supported upon the frame of the apparatus for which the tape is designed to control.

Various ways for accomplishing such control over apparatus of this character have been suggested in the past and exemplary thereof are U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,297 and a U.S. patent application filed in the name of Albert Sniderman Ser. No. 844,560 filed July 24, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,163, entitled Variable Format Control From Pre-Printed Line Marks, both of common ownership herewith. In the past, as illustrated by the cited patent and patent application, it has been the usual practice to mount the control or format tape in exposed condition on the machine for which it is intended to control where it requires considerable manual handling of the tape both in placing the same thereon and removing the same therefrom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An important object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for controlling the advance of material through a work area according to information on a selected control tape.

Another important object of the invention is to pro vide improved apparatus of' the aforementioned character which protectingly houses the control tape both in use and non-use and thereby substantially reducing the amount of manual handling of such tapes with the consequent reduction in wear and damage.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a novel form of mounting for control tapes which enables the operator to easily load and unload the control tape from the machine which it controls.

The present invention contemplates an improved apparatus forcontrolling the advance of material such as a record medium movable through a printing station and the like and more specifically contemplates a control provision for such equipment which protectingly houses a control or format tape employed for modifying the advance of such material. To this end, the apparatus includes a housing or cartridge which protectingly encloses the control or format tape and which includes a sprocket wheel drivingly connected to the tape and having a loose fit in the interior of the cartridge when in non-use but being capable when mounted on the machine to be driven without mechanical contact with any part of the cartridge. The apparatus further includes a mounting assembly for the cartridge containing the control tape which is provided with exposed operating elements including a driving shaft shaped for operating connection to the, sprocket wheel in the interior of the cartridge and a machine reading. device constructed so as to enter the cartridge and read the control tape as it is advanced by the sprocket wheel. Further features of the invention include one or more aligning pins for assuring that the cartridge is properly positioned on its mounting plate with the sprocket wheel drivingly connected to a drive shaft for joint rotation therewith and such that no part of the sprocket wheel engages any surface areas of the cartridge. Another feature of the invention includes a provision for adjusting the position of the tape reading device relative to its mounting on the supporting plate and while the housing or cartridge is detachably secured thereto.

Various other objects advantageous and meritorious features of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein;

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of the apparatus showing the parts thereof in the order of their assemy;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the housing or cartridge forming the detachable unit of the apparatus and illus trating two different lengths of control tape that may be enclosed therewithin;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of a control tape which may be enclosed within the cartridge of FIG. 2 for use in the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a view of the cartridge similar to that of FIG. 2 but of larger scale'and showing it in relationship to the adjustable mounting provision for the tape reading subassembly and the manner of providing adjustment thereof;

FIG. 5 is a semi-exploded orthogonal side view of the apparatus illustrating the manner in which the cartridge unit is secured to and detached from the mounting plate assembly;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the tape reading device of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With more particular reference to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises, in general, a supporting plate or bracket generally indicated at 10 which may be affixed to the side wall 11 of a printing machine and a tape cartridge unit generally indicated at 12 and detachably secured to the plate. The printing machine may be of the character for intermittently advancing a record medium, such as a paper web 14, upon which printing impressions are made when the medium is momentarily stopped. The cartridge unit 12 more specifically comprises a rectangularly-shaped casing 16, a tape sprocket wheel l8.and a transparent cover 20, all of which are preferably formed of molded plastic material for inexpensive production and ease of assembly. Normally, in addition, the cartridge would also contain a control or format tape shown as an endless loop 22 in several figures of the drawings. In the use of this cartridge, a selected endless tape is enclosed within the casing with its plate 10 and replaced by a new cartridge containing the desired controlling tape.

For rotating the sprocket wheel 18 as well as for reading the tape 22, and for detachably securing the cartridge 12 in properly aligned position, certain operating elements are positioned upon the mounting plate in protruding relationship thereto. One such element constitutes an extension 24 of the paper web driving shaft 26 employed for operating conventional pin feeding tractors 28 for intermittently advancing the paper web 14. The supporting plate 10 as well as the side wall 11 of the machine to which it is attached are apertured at 30 for receiving the extension 24 of the tractor drive shaft 26 and the bearing mount 31 for journalling the same as is evident in FIGS. 1, and 6.

Also extending in protruding relationship to the mounting plate is a tape reading assembly generally indicated at 32 employing in this embodiment of the invention photocell equipment for sensing marginal perforations formed in the control tape 22 housed in the cartridge. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 8, the read head assembly includes a pair of side-by-side projections 34-34 in one of which a pair of photocells 3636 are mounted and in the other of which are a pair of lamps 3838 positioned in aligned relation to the photocells. This read head assembly is mounted on a generally L-shaped plate 40 which in turn is adjustably secured to the mounting plate 10 in a manner to be described hereinafter. The two projections 3434 containing the two photocell devices are spaced apart sufficiently to straddle the control tape 22 housed within the cartridge when the latter is secured to the mounting plate.

The cartridge mounting assembly on the supporting plate 10 also includes certain alignment pins of similar construction, two of which are identified by the reference character 42. These aligning pins are predisposed in projecting relationship on the plate 10 so as to slidably fit into holes 44 in the cartridge when the latter is mounted on the plate 10 as best shown for one of the pins in FIG. 6. The forward end of each pin is tapered as at 46 so as to wedge the cartridge into proper position on the plate as it is moved into placement thereon. As will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter, this function of the two aligning pins 4242 will cause the sprocket wheel 18 to rotate in the cartridge free of any surfaces thereof when the cartridge is properly positioned by these pins on the plate 10. Associated with each aligning pin is a cartridge retaining spring clip 48 which as best shown in FIG. 6 is mounted on the base of its pin and projects generally parallel therewith and has a bowed section 50 thereof which is received in a recess 52 in the body of the casing 16 specially shaped with an inclined surface 54 against which the bow of the clip bears to releasably hold the cartridge to the mounting plate.

The sprocket wheel 18 is sandwiched between the front and rear walls of the cartridge and is loosely rotatably mounted therein andinternally shaped so that as the cartridge is mounted on the plate 10 the drive shaft extension 24 will enter and coaxially mount the sprocket wheel onto the shaft and releasably but firmly lock the two together forjoint rotation. To this end, the joint rotation of the sprocket wheel 18 on the driving shaft section 24 is preferably accomplished by polygonally shaping the latter to provide a multiplicity of flat sides, such as being square in cross-section, and shaping the sprocket wheel with a square-shaped bore 56 which has a sliding fit on flat sides of the shaft extension 24. When coaxially aligned with the driving shaft, the sprocket wheel will slidably fit thereon and be jointly rotatable therewith. Preferably, opposite sides of the shaft extension 24 are grooved to receive sprocket retaining spring arms 58-58 secured at their inner ends to the base of their respective groove and having their opposite ends free and outwardly bowed to rise out of the grooves as at 60 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The outwardly bowed section 60 of each spring arm will bear against the outwardly flared mouth 62 of the bore. In this manner, the spring arms 5858 cooperate with a circular shoulder 64 on the shaft extension 24 to center the sprocket wheel 18 within the casing 16 and releasably hold the sprocket wheel against axial movement on the shaft extension during use of the cartridge. It is also evident from FIG. 6 that the retaining springs 58-58 position the sprocket wheel on the shaft extension 24 such that the central, tooth bearing portion of the sprocket wheel is clear of contact with any adjacent surfaces of the casing 16 and cover 20 of the cartridge. In addition, the sprocket wheel 18 is provided with two axial extensions of similar reduced diameters located on opposite sides of the plane of its teeth to form hubs 6666 which are so dimensionally shaped that in non-use of the cartridge they will engage interior surface portions thereof and hold the sprocket wheel in approximately the operating position it would assume when fitted on the shaft extension 24. For this purpose, the two hubs 66-66 are designed to loosely fit, one in a circular hole 68 on the rear wall 70 of the casing 16 and the other in a circular hole 72 on the front cover 20. In other words, each hub 66 has a diameter undersize the hole of the casing in which it is received so that the sprocket wheel has a permitted play within the plane of the cartridge. When the cartridge is moved into mounting position on the supporting plate 10, the outer end of the shaft extension 24 enters the mouth of the bore of the sprocket wheel in the rear wall thereof and is guided by the bevel 74 shown in FIG. 6 into the central portion of the bore during which time the sprocket wheel is adjusted within the plane of the easing so as to coaxially align with the shaft 24 and be slidably keyed thereto to form the driving connection therebetween. In such a condition, the hubs 6666 are lifted clear of the edges of their respective holes 68 and 72 and ride clear thereof as best shown in FIG. 6. It is evident that when the sprocket wheel is so mounted on the shaft extension 24, it is free and clear of any internal surfaces of the cartridge although protectingly located therein and is free to rotate without abrading contact with any part of the cartridge while mounted on the shaft 24 and driven thereby.

Any form of tape 22 to be used in this apparatus is perforated as at 23 in FIG. 3 so that the teeth of the sprocket wheel 18 may drivingly engage with the sprocket holes in the tape in the manner shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. To introduce the tape into the cartridge, the front cover 20 is separated from the casing 16. This may be accomplished by the provision of screw members 76 carried by the casing and entering and being threaded in spaced apart holes in the cover 20. Preferably, the heads of the screws 76 are located on the rear side of the casing 16 where they will be located between the casing and the plate 10 when the cartridge is mounted on the latter. In this inaccessible location, the cover cannot be removed from the casing until the cartridge is detached from the mounting plate. This has the advantages of preventing one unfamiliar with the operation of the machine from removing or interchanging control tapes while the cartridge is mounted on the machine as well as avoiding the snagging of protruding screw heads on the face of the cartridge. As best shown at the bottom of FIG. 5, each screw member 76 may be provided with a recessly located retaining ring 77 preventing complete unthreading and separation of the screw from the casing. After detachment of the cartridge from the mounting plate 10, the sprocket wheel 18 becomes available for removal by simply unthreading the screws 76 sufficiently to release the cover 20. When the cover is removed from the casing, a tape 22 may be strung on the sprocket wheel in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 following which the sprocket wheel is then reintroduced into the casing with one hub thereof entering the hole 68 on the rear wall thereof. Assuming the tape is properly threaded into guiding channels and across a side opening cut-out or aperture 78 of the easing into which the tape read head 32 projects, the cover may be again secured in place on the casing by tightening the screws 76. In mounted position of the cartridge, the tape would then assume the suspended position illustrated by either of the two tape samples 22 and 22 in FIG. 2.

To assure that the tape has a straight-line path of movement through the aperture 76 a pair of similar shaped tape guides 8080 are provided which bridge the aperture 78 in the assembled position as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. The opposite ends of the guide members are rolled over for sliding fit on ridges 82-82 integrally formed with the material of the casing when the latter is molded. When so mounted the two guides 8080 are slightly spaced apart from one another sufficiently to receive the tape 22 therebetween and guide succeeding sections of the tape therebetween as they move across the aperture. A pair of elongated slots 84-84 are formed in each guide 80 in registration with the slots in the other guide so as to enable the light rays emanating from both lamps 3838 of the read head assembly to impinge upon their respective photocells 3636. As will be shortly described herein, the elongated slots 84-84 of these guide members enable the read head 32 to be adjusted vertically or lengthwise of the tape a limited distance while still reading the .tape and while the printing machine is in operation.

As previously mentioned herein, the L-shaped bracket 40 for carrying the tape read head assembly has a provision for enabling it to be adjusted vertically or lengthwise of the tape. For this purpose, the vertical portion of the 'bracket 40 is provided with the two aligned slots 86-86 through each of which a nut and bolt assembly 88 extends, the latter serving to either loosen or tighten the bracket to the base plate 10. In the lower widened portion of the bracket 40 there is a device for raising and lowering the bracket when the bolts 88 are loosened. This provision is herein illustrated as an eccentric cam assembly which as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 comprises a knurled knob 90 centered at 92 and to the underside of which is attached a circular member 94 riding in an oversize circular hole in the bracket and eccentrically related to the axis of the knob 90 and capable when the knob is rotated in one or the other direction about its own axis to apply a camming force in the direction to raise or lower the bracket. In so doing, the projecting read head assembly 32 will be moved up or down in the aperture 78 of the casing and for the length of the slots 8484 of the tape guides --80. With this adjusting provision, the operator can vary the location of the printed lines on the paper web 14 so that these lines coincide with the preprinted format of the paper web and any marks thereon signifying the desired line positions. In other words, the adjusting provision enables the operator to observe the location of the printed lines on the paper web and at the same time reach around to the knurled knob and adjust the bracket 40 either up or down to raise or lower the printed lines appearing on the web with respect to the desired format or any pre-printed marks on the page sections of the paper web. This can be performed while the machine is operating and is intermittently moving the web and while the cartridge is mounted and connected to the paper web advancing means.

Also, to insure that a control tape is properly engaged by the sprocket wheel, thebody of the casing may be provided with a narrow tape receiving channel 98 which, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, is concentric with the axis of rotation of the driving shaft 24 when the cartridge is properly mounted on the plate 10. The arcuate extent of the channel 98 is forapproximately 180 of the axis of rotation of the sprocket. wheel enabling the teeth of the latter to enter the sprocket holes 23 in the tape as the teeth on the left side of the sprocket wheel 18, as viewed in FIG. 4, move clockwise around the sprocket wheel axis and to escape from these holes as the tape moves away from the sprocket wheel on the right side thereof. The casing and the cover may be molded with cooperating projections along side of the path of movement of the tape around the upper end of the cartridge to assist in bringing the teeth of the sprocket wheel into and out of engagement with the holes 23 thereof as successive portions of the tape ride around the wheel. t

Also, with respect to the control tape 22, either one or both of the side margins thereof may contain coded markings or slits 25 as shown in FIG. 2 which register with the slots 84-84 of the pair of tape guides 80-80. These slits determine the positions for modifying or stopping the advance of material through the machine which the tape controls and in cooperation with the read head assembly causes the production of electrical control pulses for this purpose. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, these control pulses serve to locate the various lines of printed material to be impressed on the paper web by the printing machine and terminates the feeding of the paper web each time a selected printing line is brought into printing position in the manner described in the aforesaid referenced patent and patent application.

To facilitate attachment and removal of the assembled cartridge 12 onto and from the base plate 10,.the body of the casing 16 of the cartridge may be provided with similar side extending flanges 100-100 projecting from opposite sides thereof on the level of the sprocket wheel 18. These flanges will serve as thumb and tore finger grips for attaching the cartridge to and for removing the cartridge from the base plate assembly.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown, it will be understood, of course, that it is not desired that the invention be limited thereto since modifications may be made. For example, instead of having the drive shaft 26 provided with the extension 24 for insertion into the bore of the sprocket wheel, the shaft 26 may be provided with a bore or socket opening out through the end thereof for receiving an extension of the sprocket wheel, the socket and extension having a slidable fit but coupling one to the other to form a driving connection therebetween. The illustrated embodiment has the advantage over the suggested modification because the absence of such an extension on the sprocket wheel will enable the cartridge to be stacked compactly when in non-use. It is obvious that other modifications may be made of similar nature. It is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for advancing material through a work area according to information on a selective endless control tape comprising, in combination:

a housing forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel therein for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape, said housing having a first aperture in one wall through which a projection of the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel extends and a second aperture in said wall thereof intersecting a section of the path of travel of an endless control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel,

means for loosely supporting the sprocket wheel for limited bodily movement within the housing and with the axis of the sprocket wheel in alignment with said first aperture,

a mounting plate assembly for the housing having means detachably securing the housing thereto with the apertured wall thereof in close proximity to the mounting assembly and means for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to a rotative power shaft acting through said first aperture and further means dimensioned to enter the second aperture and read the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and

said disconnectibly coupling means including means for keying the sprocket wheel to the power shaft for joint rotation therewith and further means for releasably holding the sprocket wheel against axial movement when keyed to the shaft.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that said first aperture is circular in formation and in that the sprocket wheel has a hub extension slightly undersize the first aperture for providing a loose fit therein.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 characterized in that the housing has oppositely disposed front and rear walls of which said one wall is the rear wall, that the front wall is similarly provided with a circular aperture coaxial with the first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and that the sprocket wheel has a second hub extension slightly undersize the aperture in the front wall and providing a loose fit of the second hub extension therein.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 characterized in that said mounting plate assembly includes at least one protruding aligning pin extending parallel to the driving shaft and slidably fitting a hole in the housing.

5. The invention defined in claim 3 characterized in that the mounting plate assembly further includes a provision for adjusting the position of the tape reading device relative to the plate of the assembly and while the housing is detachably secured thereto.

6. Apparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or the like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon including, in combination:

a cartridge forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel journallingly supported in the interior thereof for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced control tape, said cartridge having a rear wall provided with a first aperture thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and further provided with a second aperture in said wall thereof aligning with a section of the path of travel of the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel,

a supporting plate having means detachably mounting the cartridge thereon with the apertured rear wall thereof in substantially abutting relationship to the plate,

a driving shaft projecting from the plate and entering said first aperture and drivingly engaging the sprocket wheel,

a tape reading assembly projecting from the plate and entering said second aperture for reading the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and

said cartridge having a front wall oppositely disposed with respect to the rear wall, said front wall being provided with an aperture coaxial with said first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and said sprocket wheel having oppositely extending hubs slightly undersize said coaxially aligned apertures and loosely fitting the same.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 characterized in that the sprocket wheel is provided with an axial bore which is shaped to slidably receive the end of the driving shaft and releasably lock the sprocket wheel to the shaft for joint rotation.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 characterized in that the end-of the driving shaft is provided with resilient means for releasably retaining the sprocket wheel thereon against axial movement.

9. Appparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or the like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon and whose movement is controlled by a selected endless control tape which comprises, in combination:

a supporting plate adapted to form part of the printing machine and protruding outwardly therefrom are a driving shaft and a tape reading assembly,

a cartridge having a front, a rear and connecting side walls and forming'a protective enclosure for an endless control tape introduced thereinto, said cartridge enclosing a sprocket wheel therewithin for toothedly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape for driving the same and further having a first aperture in the rear wall thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and a second aperture in the rear wall registering with a section of the path of travel of the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, I

means for detachably securing the cartridge to the supporting plate with the rear wall thereof substantially abutting the plate and so that the protruding driving shaft extends through the first aperture for driving connection to the sprocket wheel and so that the protruding reading assembly extends through the second aperture to read the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and

said front wall of the cartridge also being provided with an aperture registering with said first aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge, and said sprocket wheel being provided with oppositely extending hubs entering the two registering apertures and dimensioned so as to have a loose fit therein.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 characterized in that means is provided for adjusting the protruding tape reading assembly relative to the supporting plate and in the direction parallel to the path of travel of that section of the tape which it reads.

11. A device for protectingly enclosing and mounting a control tape on a machine to be controlled thereby comprising, in combination:

a cartridge having a front wall, a rear wall and connccting side walls and forming a protective enclosure for an endless control tape introduced there into, said cartridge having the front wall thereof movable relative to the balance of the cartridge to gain access to the interior thereof for loading the tape therein and further having a first aperture and a second aperture in the rear wall thereof,

a sprocket wheel enclosed within the cartridge having the teeth thereof adapted to engage in sprocket holes formed in the endless control tape introduced into the cartridge for driving the same, said sprocket wheel being supportively located within the cartridge with its axis projecting through said first aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge and suspending the enclosed control tape within the cartridge so that a section of the tape intersects the second aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge, and

means for detachably securing the cartridge to a part of the machine which is to be controlled by the en closed tape including a driving connection extending through said first aperture for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to an external source of rotative power and a tape reading assembly having a part thereof extending through said second aperture for reading the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel.

12. The device defined in claim 11 characterized in that the driving connection for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to a source of rotative power is constituted by a drive shaft of polygonal cross-section which slidably fits into a similarly cross-sectioned bore in the sprocket wheel and includes resilient means for releasably retaining the sprocket wheel on the shaft. 

1. Apparatus for advancing material through a work area according to information on a selective endless control tape comprising, in combination: a housing forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel therein for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape, said housing having a first aperture in one wall through which a projection of the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel extends and a second aperture in said wall thereof intersecting a section of the path of travel of an endless control tape drivingly enGaged by the sprocket wheel, means for loosely supporting the sprocket wheel for limited bodily movement within the housing and with the axis of the sprocket wheel in alignment with said first aperture, a mounting plate assembly for the housing having means detachably securing the housing thereto with the apertured wall thereof in close proximity to the mounting assembly and means for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to a rotative power shaft acting through said first aperture and further means dimensioned to enter the second aperture and read the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said disconnectibly coupling means including means for keying the sprocket wheel to the power shaft for joint rotation therewith and further means for releasably holding the sprocket wheel against axial movement when keyed to the shaft.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that said first aperture is circular in formation and in that the sprocket wheel has a hub extension slightly undersize the first aperture for providing a loose fit therein.
 3. The invention defined in claim 2 characterized in that the housing has oppositely disposed front and rear walls of which said one wall is the rear wall, that the front wall is similarly provided with a circular aperture coaxial with the first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and that the sprocket wheel has a second hub extension slightly undersize the aperture in the front wall and providing a loose fit of the second hub extension therein.
 4. The invention defined in claim 3 characterized in that said mounting plate assembly includes at least one protruding aligning pin extending parallel to the driving shaft and slidably fitting a hole in the housing.
 5. The invention defined in claim 3 characterized in that the mounting plate assembly further includes a provision for adjusting the position of the tape reading device relative to the plate of the assembly and while the housing is detachably secured thereto.
 6. Apparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or the like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon including, in combination: a cartridge forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel journallingly supported in the interior thereof for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced control tape, said cartridge having a rear wall provided with a first aperture thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and further provided with a second aperture in said wall thereof aligning with a section of the path of travel of the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, a supporting plate having means detachably mounting the cartridge thereon with the apertured rear wall thereof in substantially abutting relationship to the plate, a driving shaft projecting from the plate and entering said first aperture and drivingly engaging the sprocket wheel, a tape reading assembly projecting from the plate and entering said second aperture for reading the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said cartridge having a front wall oppositely disposed with respect to the rear wall, said front wall being provided with an aperture coaxial with said first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and said sprocket wheel having oppositely extending hubs slightly undersize said coaxially aligned apertures and loosely fitting the same.
 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 characterized in that the sprocket wheel is provided with an axial bore which is shaped to slidably receive the end of the driving shaft and releasably lock the sprocket wheel to the shaft for joint rotation.
 8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 characterized in that the end of the driving shaft is provided with resilient means for releasably retaining the sprocket wheel thereon against axial movement.
 9. Appparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or thE like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon and whose movement is controlled by a selected endless control tape which comprises, in combination: a supporting plate adapted to form part of the printing machine and protruding outwardly therefrom are a driving shaft and a tape reading assembly, a cartridge having a front, a rear and connecting side walls and forming a protective enclosure for an endless control tape introduced thereinto, said cartridge enclosing a sprocket wheel therewithin for toothedly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape for driving the same and further having a first aperture in the rear wall thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and a second aperture in the rear wall registering with a section of the path of travel of the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, means for detachably securing the cartridge to the supporting plate with the rear wall thereof substantially abutting the plate and so that the protruding driving shaft extends through the first aperture for driving connection to the sprocket wheel and so that the protruding reading assembly extends through the second aperture to read the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said front wall of the cartridge also being provided with an aperture registering with said first aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge, and said sprocket wheel being provided with oppositely extending hubs entering the two registering apertures and dimensioned so as to have a loose fit therein.
 10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 characterized in that means is provided for adjusting the protruding tape reading assembly relative to the supporting plate and in the direction parallel to the path of travel of that section of the tape which it reads.
 11. A device for protectingly enclosing and mounting a control tape on a machine to be controlled thereby comprising, in combination: a cartridge having a front wall, a rear wall and connecting side walls and forming a protective enclosure for an endless control tape introduced thereinto, said cartridge having the front wall thereof movable relative to the balance of the cartridge to gain access to the interior thereof for loading the tape therein and further having a first aperture and a second aperture in the rear wall thereof, a sprocket wheel enclosed within the cartridge having the teeth thereof adapted to engage in sprocket holes formed in the endless control tape introduced into the cartridge for driving the same, said sprocket wheel being supportively located within the cartridge with its axis projecting through said first aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge and suspending the enclosed control tape within the cartridge so that a section of the tape intersects the second aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge, and means for detachably securing the cartridge to a part of the machine which is to be controlled by the enclosed tape including a driving connection extending through said first aperture for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to an external source of rotative power and a tape reading assembly having a part thereof extending through said second aperture for reading the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel.
 12. The device defined in claim 11 characterized in that the driving connection for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to a source of rotative power is constituted by a drive shaft of polygonal cross-section which slidably fits into a similarly cross-sectioned bore in the sprocket wheel and includes resilient means for releasably retaining the sprocket wheel on the shaft. 